Thesis (D. Min.)--Denver Conservative Baptist Seminary, 1994. / This is an electronic reproduction of TREN, #090-0241. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 135-142).

Thesis (Th. M.)--Calvin Theological Seminary, 2008. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 147-150).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 41-50). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Central Florida, 2008. / Adviser: Harry Weger, Jr. Includes bibliographical references (p. 64-70).

Thesis (M.A.P.S.)--Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaf [51]).

This thesis discusses the notion of amicitia in early Christian literature. By examining letters and normative texts ranging from the third to the early fifth century, the study illuminates not only how contemporary authors shaped friendship conceptually but also how these concepts relate to the actual social practice. Typically, scholars confine their reading of Christian friendship to the late antique period. In so doing, they approach amicitia either as a particular kind of relationship performing crucial social functions or as a subject for theorization that followed the example of a longstanding ancient philosophical tradition. Particularly influential has been the view that links amicitia with affection and love. Hence, scholars tend to stress the inclusiveness of friendship. By contrast, my own study focuses on the aspect of exclusion as the necessary by-product of social inclusion processes. Along these lines, amicita is described as existing in a dialectical opposition with its antonym, inimicitia. This approach yielded a number of insights. First, as the study moves into uncharted territory, the examination of third century texts highlights a tradition of amicitia-related thought that reached further back than has previously been assumed. From this, a more nuanced picture of friendship emerges that is not constrained by scholarly established boundaries between different fields of study. Second, the principle of inclusion and exclusion, dividing the world into amici and inimici, has been revealed as a powerful tool in church politics and religious controversy that established sharp boundaries between competing Christian factions. This view, which posits the truth of faith as the necessary prerequisite for friendship, is set off against other contemporary voices that did not make amicitia dependent on a particular religious group affiliation. Third, while disentangling friendship from the question of love, the character of Christian amicitia is viewed against the backdrop of the divine household. Though the conceptual overlap between friendship and kinship is not unique to the Christian tradition, such thinking ties in with an idea of community that builds on the paternity of God. These findings have implications for both the study of ancient friendship and the history of the early church. They improve our understanding of the relation between the conceptualization of amicitia and the actual social practice and moreover offer a deep insight into the social dynamics of contemporary religious controversies.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Em meio ao espaÃo urbano de Fortaleza (CE), diversos adolescentes e jovens constroem diferentes tipos de sociabilidades. Com o uso crescente de tecnologias mÃveis de informaÃÃo e comunicaÃÃo, especialmente o celular, novos Ãmbitos sÃo criados, assim como construÃdas novas formas de interaÃÃo. O presente texto dissertativo traz os percursos de uma pesquisa etnogrÃfica, produzida de forma virtual e no Ãmbito da rua, com o objetivo de investigar, no campo da sociabilidade, como sÃo tecidos os vÃnculos entre adolescentes e jovens integrantes de um grupamento autodenominado âfamÃlia Os Poderosos e As Poderosasâ a partir do uso que tecem do WhatsApp e das praÃas â localizadas na Secretaria Regional VI â do bairro da Sapiranga, onde semanalmente marcam encontros. Para tanto, a pesquisadora esteve inserida na famÃlia poderosa durante cerca de dez meses, no ano de 2015, interagindo com seus integrantes, realizando entrevistas, diÃrios de bordo, registros fotogrÃficos nos encontros marcados nas praÃas, alÃm de sua permanÃncia total em grupos do WhatsApp criados pela famÃlia poderosa com o intuito de organizaÃÃo e interaÃÃo dos participantes do grupamento. Tais tipos de grupamento mantÃm diretoria definida, normas de conduta e uma quantidade intensa de territÃrios de sentidos onde perpassam a amizade, sua caracterizaÃÃo como famÃlia, romances e rivalidades, sendo tais relaÃÃes construÃdas cotidianamente a partir da convergÃncia entre o celular e a praÃa como polos de encontro, lazer, afetos e, tambÃm, crises e desfazimentos de vÃnculos. Os percursos delineados nesta pesquisa investigaram como se dÃo essas relaÃÃes, seus deslocamentos e rupturas. Durante todo o texto dissertativo, a autora manteve diÃlogo com a teoria do Ator-Rede, a partir de autores como Latour (2012) e Lemos (2014); dialogou sobre os procedimentos metodolÃgicos utilizados durante a pesquisa, com Margulis (2009), Magnani (2012), Peirano (1995), Polivanov (2013), dentre outros autores; trouxe elementos sobre corpo e sensorialidade com Sibilia (2014), Sennett (2003) e Schutz (1979); abordou a discussÃo sobre sociabilidade a partir Santaella (2013) e, especialmente, Simmel (1983); retomou Simmel (2001), ao discutir sobre famÃlia, abordando o conceito de amizade com Rezende (2002); dentre outras categorias essenciais. / Amidst the urban area of Fortaleza (CE), many adolescents and youths construct different types of sociability. With the increasing use of mobile information and communication technologies, especially mobile, new areas are created as well as built new forms of interaction. This argumentative text brings the paths of ethnographic research, produced in virtual form and under the street, in order to investigate in the field of sociability, as are woven links between adolescents and young members of a self-styled grouping "family Os Poderosos e As Poderosas" from the use of WhatsApp and weaving of the Sapiranga neighborhood squares - located in the Regional Secretariat VI - where weekly meetings mark. Therefore, the researcher was inserted into the powerful family for about ten months in 2015, interacting with its members, conducting interviews, diaries edges, photographic records in the meetings scheduled in the streets, and their total stay in WhatsApp groups created by the powerful family with the organization of development and interaction of the participants of the grouping. Such groups maintain defined board, rules of conduct and an intense amount of senses territories where pervade friendship, its characterization as a family, romances and rivalries, and such relationships built daily from the convergence between the mobile and the square as poles of meeting, leisure, affection and also crises and undoings links. The routes outlined in this research investigated how these relationships occur, their shifts and breaks. Throughout the argumentative text, the author maintains dialogue with Actor-Network Theory, from authors such as Latour (2012) and Lemos (2014); dialogues on the methodological procedures used during the research, with Margulis (2009), Magnani (2012), Peirano (1995), Polivanov (2013), among other authors; brings elements of body and sensuousness with Sibilia (2014), Sennett (2003) and Schutz (1979); addresses the discussion of sociability from Santaella (2013) and especially to Simmel (1983); resumes Simmel (2001), to discuss family, addressing the concept of friendship with Rezende (2002); among other key categories.

In my thesis, I examine the role of character friendship for the agent’s moral development in Aristotle’s ethics. I contend that we should divide character friendship in two categories: a) character friendship between completely virtuous agents, and, b) character friendship between unequally developed, or, equally developed, yet not completely virtuous agents. Regarding the first category, I argue that this highest form of friendship provides the opportunity for the agent to advance his understanding of certain virtues through the help of his virtuous friend. This process can be expressed in two ways. In the first way, I take character friendship in (a) as a relationship that is based on mutual relinquishing of opportunities for action or giving up external goods based on each agent’s needs. This process helps the agents develop their character in certain virtues which have remained slightly underdeveloped than others due to nature (NE 1144b4-7), or development (Politics 1329a9ff). This means, for instance, that if agent A is wealthy and his friend B is a middle class worker and they win the lottery together, A will relinquish his share of money to his friend so that he will be able to practice the virtue of magnificence; a virtue that his previous financial condition prevented him from developing appropriately. The second process is rather different and new in scholarly debate concerning Aristotle’s theory of moral development. I suggest that the completely virtuous agent is able to further develop his character through a process I will describe as interpretative mimesis. In this process, the agent receives the form of his friend’s action and is able to apply this pattern of behaviour in a situation that he thinks is appropriate. I have to highlight though the fact the fact that he does not just ape his friend’s action. Instead, he interprets the action based on his skills and abilities and the demands of the situations he faces. Thus, this pattern works as an extra epistemological tool in the agent’s hand in new and challenging moral situations. Now, case (b) comes on the opposite side of the majority of scholars’ view on character friendship. They think that Aristotle reserves character friendship only for completely virtuous agents. I argue that this is not the correct approach, and that less than completely virtuous agents can take part in character friendships as well. This view has the advantage of making character friendship in (b) a tool in Aristotle’s hands for his agents of lower moral level to develop their understanding of virtue and its applications. I propose that the route of moral development in case (b) resembles the one in the second process of case (a). Namely, the agent receives the form of his friend’s action and uses it as a pattern in some new situation he has to face. I will not name the process though as “interpretative” or any kind of mimesis. The reason for this is that Aristotle gives us textual evidence (NE 1172a9-14) for an imitative method of moral development only for the second process of case (a). I will take case (b) then as a pattern guide application of my friend’s action which we could call pre-interpretative mimesis period of the agent’s moral development. If my arguments are correct then character friendship is much more valuable than scholars thought. Our friends turn out to be examples of good action who guide us through the sweaty and painful path that is called virtue. And this path never stops; even if we have become “moral heroes”; or, put it differently, “masters” of practical wisdom.

This qualitative study utilized the action-project theory and method to investigate the close, long-term friendships (two to ten years in duration) of female, early adolescent dyads. Ten early adolescent girls between the ages of 11 and 13 were studied. The purpose of this study was twofold; first, to determine the characteristics of best friendship projects and how they manifested within early adolescent friendship conversations and; second, to investigate the nature of self-representations (descriptions of the self) made by the participants. The processes (cognitive, affective, and behavioural) and meaning (goals) of friendship jointly expressed within the conversations were identified. As well, self-representations were analyzed from the perspective of whether they functioned to advance friendship projects. In addition to the friendship conversations, collages explicating the girls’ meanings and processes around their close friendships were also explored through an individual interview with each participant. The participants engaged in five friendship projects within their friendship conversations. First, an overriding project to preserve and maintain the friendship was demonstrated. Other sub-projects demonstrated within the conversations were the desire to have fun, to provide support to each other, and to connect with each other. Simultaneously, while jointly enacting other friendship projects, the participants also demonstrated through action, the project of exploring and discovering aspects of their identities. Multiple functional steps (the means) to achieve these projects were utilized. Gossip, fictional and factual storytelling, teasing, joking, problem solving, asking for advice, and displaying physical affection are examples of these means. Self-representations from the conversations were not always consistent with those revealed during self-confrontation interviews, at times in the service of achieving friendship goals. Self-representations between the collage interviews and the friendship conversations were very consistent, suggesting the complementary nature of the data sources. Meanings and processes gleaned from the friendship conversations were also very consistent with those found within the friendship collages. Implications of these findings for parents, educators, and counsellors are discussed. / Education, Faculty of / Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of / Graduate

This study examined the ways in which women and men view themselves and their women and men friends, in the context of their friendships. Ninety-five female and 95 male undergraduates completed the Friendship Questionnaire, in which they rated each of their closest friends, and rated themselves with each of those friends, on 13 dimensions of friendship. Test-retest procedures demonstrated the measure had satisfactory reliability. The general results are reflected in three patterns of friendship: 1) relationships with men friends tend to be less reciprocal than relationships with women friends in self disclosure, empathic understanding, deepening other's self awareness, and responsibility; 2) men's same-sex relationships tend to be lower in appreciation, empathic understanding, deepening other's self awareness, responsibility, and empowerment; and 3) women tend to report that they give more than they receive in friendships with women and men, on empathic understanding, self disclosure, and connectedness. The results of this study support the notion that although there is more commonality than difference in women's and men's friendships, many significant differences do exist. Further, this methodology illustrates the importance of studying people's conceptions of themselves and their friendships within the context of their specific real-life relationships. / Arts, Faculty of / Psychology, Department of / Graduate